Well shit.
Looking up, it was clearly a human woman - or nearly human woman - in a pressure suit. I didn't recognize the model of pressure suit at least, so I don't think we're dealing with time travel stuff. At least I hope not. I did read an article once about how during the development of the wormhole generators, we were exploring FTL travel and realized that any FTL drive is also a Time Machine (since Speed is a function of distance over time and if you can't reduce the distance you reduce the time) and that line of research was shut down very quickly.
But looking up at her, I was not so sure. She had a beautiful face, framed in long hair that was spilling out of the helmet ring of her suit. She didn't have a helmet on, and she didn't seem to be wearing any accessories other than the suit, no gun on her back, no tools on her belt. She was making a grand gesture, pointing out towards the promenade.
The bird people and octopus people caught us gawking. One of the bird people, Starlight on a Moonless Evening, I thought, said "Ah yes, our patron saint, The Builder Aeche. She watches over us and keeps us safe.
"Well, I see why everyone is so nervous around us." I said more jovially than I felt. "Everyone sure didn't seem pleased to see us walking down the promenade though, lots of glares and unhappy looks."
When I said that, both Captain Q'ari and Fer'resi's head snapped over to me. They did not see that. Q'ari looked at Fer'resi and they had some kind of body language conversation, and Q'ari said to Fer'resi "I apologize Holy One, but I can't say your name because it will give away that I am talking to you and not my friend here. I am speaking ancient K'laxi. Are we in danger? Indicate yes by looking at me, no by looking at the statue."
I didn't know if we're in danger or not! I don't think we're in "shoot and run away" danger yet. I decided to split the difference and look exactly between them, down the Promenade. I think they understood my meaning. "Rapid River Roaring, how many sapients live here? I've never been on a Starbase so large and... expansive."
Rapid River Roaring's feathers ruffled slight annoyance. I don't think they were expecting much small talk. "Oh, I'm not exactly sure, but well over 10 million at last census I believe."
What.
"10 million?" I said, legitimately surprised. "I had no idea it was so many."
"Oh yes" They said absently. "Come, I am very hungry, let us go eat." and they started to walk inside.
With a resigned sigh, I turned and followed. We might as well see this through, but I couldn't shake the feeling we were in trouble. Inside the administrative offices was a grand entryway all polished stone and more lights that we couldn't find the source, so everything was evenly lit and then... it was just an office building.
It was almost comical how boring it was. It could have been an office on any colony in human space, other than the panoply of sapients at work.
We walked down a carpeted hall until the smells of food being prepared became prominent. We turned a corner and it was... a canteen. Like, every canteen I've ever been to while in the Navy has looked like this. Apparently it's universal. There was a long empty table in the back that was set with linen and plates were set. Zemmlin led us to the table. The octopus people took up station at one end of the table and the bird people took up station at the other. We were directed towards the middle. As we sat, one of the insect people I saw earlier walked up to Smell of the Ocean carrying something small and black. With a little bow they handed to Ocean and walked away. They examined it, pressed a button and saw lights illuminate on the side. Battery level? Seeming satisfied he sat and spoke to Fer'resi. "Here. This is our latest translator. Please see if you and your ship can integrate our language models to further facilitate communication."
Fer'resi took the box smiling, the lack of understanding painted plainly on his face, but then looked at me and flicked his ear. I said "It's a translator module. They're giving it to you."
"Ah" he visibly relaxed. "Thank you Melody." He turned and tried to speak. "Ah, thanks many for this."
Ocean smiled and said nothing.
People started to bring out steaming trays of food. It looks like they're going to feed us family style and let us pick and choose. That's nice of them at least.
I saw things that looked like bread, stews, maybe some kind of grain dish, a few things that might be fish or other marine creatures, and things I was pretty sure were vegetables. On a hunch, I ran my personal mass spectrometer over all of them and they were completely fine to eat. They looked to be fine for even K'laxi too. After we all agreed that the food was safe to eat, and began to serve.
I had to admit, it was good. All of it. Being careful not to eat too much - in case we had to run - I tried a little bit of everything. It was all very very good.
As we ate, the bird people and the octopus people ate as well, but I couldn't help but notice that they were spending their time looking - glaring really - at each other the whole time. I wondered if they were in something like a competition about us or something.
"So Ottarn... " I was trying to speak to all of them, it gave be a better gauge on how they were reacting. "This is all amazing food, thank you for sharing with us. Where do you get it? Is it all grown locally?"
Ottarn did their version of a laugh. "Of course it is, Holy One. As you have no doubtless seen, our system has no planet. We have a planetoid a few hours travel away that was hollowed out by the Builders and good soil and an artificial sun was added so we can grow crops. We only have to provide water and water ice asteroids abound in this system, so we have what we need. It's part of the reason that we are able to thrive here."
Turning to the other end of the table, I said, "Rapid River Roaring, Vivvex had mentioned that you thought the Gates were disabled. How do you traverse the stars if the Gates were closed?"
"Holy One, I mean no disrespect, but... we do not." Vivvex said, sadly. "All you see is all we have. The Gates have been closed to us for more than three generations."
I stopped. Switching back to Colonic - it was so easy to switch now! - I spoke to Captain Q'ari. "They don't traverse gates! They said they have been disabled and all we see is all they have."
Q'ari almost choked in surprise. Taking a breath to compose herself and finished her food she looked up and said "What? They're stuck here?"
I nodded. "For three generations according to Rapid River Roaring. I don't know how long they last but I can extrapolate that it's..."
"Between one hundred and five hundred years yes." Captain Q'ari said. "I see what you're getting at." She looked around. "This is serious. How are they providing this food? We're not taking it from people who need it more, are we?"
I shook my head no. "Vivvex says they grow it all in a hollowed out planetoid a few hours flight time away. They said it's why they can support a population of ten million."
Omar looked up from his lunch then. "Ten million? That can't be right, you must have misheard. That's insane. Either this place is way larger than it looks, or everyone is living in a closet or..."
"Or they're lying." Fer'resi said. "I don't feel safe here. I have a feeling that Melody speaking their Holy Tongue is the only thing keeping us alive right now."
"Please, friends!" Ottarn says with a - fake - smile and - forced - joviality. "I'm sure you're excited about our new relationship together, but there's no need to chat amongst yourselves secretively. Let's collaborate our resources on the translator and open a dialog."
I managed to not show my fear when I say "Thank you Ottarn, you are quite correct. In fact, we should be returning to our ship to examine your translator and integrate it with our own." I moved to stand.
Ottarn and Starlight on a Moonless Evening shot up as I stood. "Oh, I don't think that's necessary." Starlight said. "I'm sure given your position as a Holy One that of you could wear the translator and have it work right away."
The hairs on the back of my neck stood. This was bad. Why were they rushing for me to wear it unless it... was a trap. Oh fuck.
"Oh, I'm sure that's the case." I said, trying to sound easygoing and not rush my speech. "But it wouldn't work for our friends the K'laxi here." I said, gesturing to Fer'resi and Q'ari. As I did I locked eyes with them and then my eyes darted to the exit. Captain Q'ari's tail flicked a nod. "And so, it is with much thanks and great sadness that we must go." When I finished speaking Q'ari made a gesture and she and Fer'resi and Omar stood as well.
Looking at our hosts, I saw that all the bird people looked to Starlight on a Moonless Evening and the octopus people looked to Vivvix for next steps. With my newfound ability to read body language they were both deliberating very hard about what to do next. Starlight broke first. "Of course. Please examine the translator and integrate the language model with your own, and we shall speak again - all of us - shortly." and bowed dramatically. Vivvix made a gesture and one of the insect people appeared. "Tem. Please lead out guests back to their docking umbilical." Tem made a gesture of acknowledgment and looked at us. I turned to the team and said "Looks like we follow Tem here back to the dock."
I turned and looked at Starlight and Vivvix again. "Thank you for hosting us. This has been very... educational."
Starlight and Vivvix both smiled broadly and completely falsely. "The pleasure is ours, Holy One." Starlight said.
As soon as we left the Administration building, the promenade that felt open and lively as we came in felt oppressive and claustrophobic now. Tem led us along slowly back the way we came and this time more people were out and once again, they stared as we walked.
"So Tem" I said, trying to talk to our guide. "Do you work for the Administrators?"
Tem turned to look at me, then turned forward again. "No." He said.
"No? But you're doing what they ask of you?"
Without turning Tem said, "Work implies pay. I am not paid."
My eyes went wide. Slavery was known to us, but it's illegal in Human, K'laxi and even Xenni space. I turned back to the team and said quietly in Colonic "Tem here is a slave."
Captain Q'ari gasped. "This is barbaric. What is going on here?"
Omar looked around darkly. "Nothing good. I have a feeling that we're seeing refugees of whatever happened at the other address, and those with power are exercising it over those who have none."
I spoke up. "With my... upgrades I seemed to have gained the ability to ready body language as well. The bird people and the octopus people hate each other. I think we arrived in the middle of a Cold War." I turned back to Tem.
"Tem.. So the bird people and the octopus looking people like each other?"
Tem looked at me with a pitying expression. "You know how the Aviens and the Mariens feel about each other, Holy One."
"Am I holy to you too?"
"All Gate Builders are Holy."
"But, we didn't build the Gates. We didn't even have any Gates around our home world. We never even knew they existed until the K'laxi here showed them to us."
"Nevertheless you are a Builder. Even if you did not build them yourself, your kind did."
I'm speechless. Everyone here utterly believed that I was a Holy One and a Gate Builder. I mean, with the statue out front and the fact that I was speaking the Gate Builder language I guess I could see it. But still. Woof. This was going to be trouble.
"Tem, are all of your kind slaves?"
His legs quivered a no. "No. I am because I was sold to pay a debt. Not everyone here is enslaved."
We approached the docking area and Tem leads us back to our umbilical. "Uh, Thank you Tem for your help."
Tem nods. "I am so ordered. Be well, Holy One." and they turned and walked away at the same speed they led us here.
"Well. that was odd." I said. Captain Q'ari nodded. "Let's go back in Far Reach and figure out next steps.
As we approached the umbilical door, one of the bird people, an Aviens apparently, ran up to us. "Holy One! Holy One!" they shouted, out of breath.
I turned. "Yes?" What else could I do?
Without saying anything else, they whip out something from the pocket of their clothes, small and tight in their hand, it looked like a weapon. They fired it at me.